Matthew Abbott
Matthew Abbott covers sports for Manchester Evening News with a focus on club football and combat sports, drawing on experience across both UK and US beats.
Manchester United transfer live coverage
At Manchester Evening News, he reports on Manchester United transfer activity through live news blogs that track multiple stories as they develop, including updates on players such as Ederson, Sandro Tonali and Marcus Rashford in a single rolling file.
The live format keeps transfer coverage tightly focused on immediate developments around the squad, following incoming and outgoing moves, changing stances on targets and day-to-day news around key players rather than long-form features.
Club and combat sports reporting
His sports coverage for Manchester Evening News extends beyond football into combat sports, including reporting on Jade Jones’ retirement from taekwondo and her decision to start a new chapter as a professional boxer.
Earlier in his career he worked as a Sports Club Reporter, covering Manchester City and Manchester United as part of a dedicated club beat, giving him detailed familiarity with elite men’s football and the rhythms of club-focused reporting.
This mix of club football and combat sports work means he regularly writes about athletes at pivotal moments, whether in transfer windows or when they transition between codes and careers.
American sports and cross-code experience
Beyond Manchester Evening News, Abbott has worked as a national sports writer and US sports writer for major outlets, covering American sports alongside domestic football.
He is described as a US sports writer covering American sports, frequently writing about the NFL and with a particular interest in the NBA.
His professional profile at the Mirror highlights regular work on football and tennis, with topic expertise in basketball, boxing and cricket and local expertise in club football including Burton Albion.
He has reported on US sports for the Mirror’s US operation and for Daily Express US, giving him regular exposure to American leagues and their storylines as well as to the Premier League and domestic competitions.
This breadth of experience across club football, American football, basketball and combat sports informs a body of work that moves easily between transfer news, club stories and athlete-focused pieces across multiple codes.
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Adnan Riaz
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Aidan Macdonald
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